Nguyen, Thu (2025) Localising Norms, Protecting Sovereignty: Southeast Asian Political Thinking in Practice. In: [Presented at the Association of Southeast Asian Studies Annual Conference]. From: ASEAS 2025: Association of Southeast Asian Studies Annual Conference: Global Southeast Asia: Continuity and Change, 15-17 September 2025, Cambridge, UK.

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Abstract

Researchers on Southeast Asian studies have been attempting to address whether this region can be creative in constructing its own governance mechanism than being a passive recipient of Western political thoughts. This presentation discusses whether Southeast Asian states has developed a distinct political thinking to translate global norms into the region. It does so by examining ASEAN’s success in localising the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) in post-Cyclone Nargis in 2008 and its failure in localising refugee protection norm in the Rohingya refugee crisis between 2017 and 2018. I argue that ASEAN has disabled localised practices mainly to maintain local authority, leaving little room for theoretical innovation by local agents. I primarily look at the role of ASEAN Secretary-General and ASEAN Parliamentarians of Human Rights in translating the global norms in the region. When France invoked R2P to justify humanitarian intervention in Myanmar, ASEAN viewed it as neo-colonial intervention and opposed the invocation. ASEAN Secretary-General played a strong role in reframing R2P and ensured Myanmar government remain the primary actor in controlling humanitarian assistance. During the Rohingya crisis, ASEAN viewed refugees as a sovereignty issue rather than human rights, thus framed the Rohingya refugee crisis differently from the international discourse. Despite efforts from ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights in informing ASEAN of unfavourable conditions in Myanmar for refugee returns, ASEAN’s collective position was to support the Myanmar government in facilitating repatriation. The two cases ultimately reflect the tension between liberalism and statism in post-Cold War Southeast Asian political thinking.

Item ID:	89143
Item Type:	Conference Item (Presentation)
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Date Deposited:	21 Oct 2025 00:23
FoR Codes:	44 HUMAN SOCIETY > 4408 Political science > 440811 Political theory and political philosophy @ 100%
SEO Codes:	23 LAW, POLITICS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES > 2302 Government and politics > 230299 Government and politics not elsewhere classified @ 50% 23 LAW, POLITICS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES > 2303 International relations > 230399 International relations not elsewhere classified @ 50%
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